TORONTO, March 14: Ireland’s Padraig Harrington picked up his first PGA Tour title by beating world number two Vijay Singh on the second hole of a playoff at the $5.5 million Honda Classic in Florida on Sunday.
Harrington, three times a runner-up on the tour, finally achieved his breakthrough after sinking a four-foot putt for par on the 18th hole while Fijian Singh missed from two feet.
Singh, Harrington and Joe Ogilvie finished the regulation 72 holes on the Sunrise course level at 14-under-par 274. The American was eliminated on the first hole of the playoff after finding a fairway bunker with his drive.
Singh, who has a 5-1 record in playoffs, had an opportunity to end the suspense on the first extra hole but watched his 15-foot putt roll beyond the cup in the Florida twilight.
Harrington beat his previous best round on the PGA Tour by two strokes when he fired a nine-under 63. Singh shot a closing 64 while Ogilvie had a 68.
A frenzied final day began with Harrington seven off the lead in a tie for 21st place and with seemingly little chance of victory.
Inspired after watching South Africa’s Ernie Els erase a similar final-round deficit to capture the Qatar Masters, the 33-year-old Ryder Cup player from Dublin mounted a furious charge with birdies on 10 of the first 13 holes.
He briefly let it slip with bogeys at 14 and 15 before getting back on track with another birdie on 17.
Pat Perez finished in fourth spot on 275, with David Toms a further stroke back in fifth. Brad Faxon, Brett Wetterich and Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy were joint sixth on 277.
